# Samurai Search: text or PDF — iCloud sync, search, preview. > Search text and PDF files on iOS devices and cloud storage. (iPhone/iPad app by Michael Rourke.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samurai-search-text-or-pdf/id1576636770 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Michael Rourke](https://appshunter.io/developer/634812076) - Category: Utilities, Developer Tools - Price: Free - Rating: 5.00/5 from 25 App Store ratings · 9 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 16.0 · 2 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2021-07-15 - Data updated: 2026-10-24 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samurai-search-text-or-pdf/id1576636770/reviews.md ## What is Samurai Search? Search your iOS device or iCloud for text, source code, plain text files, and PDFs. Find matches inside files and preview results instantly, or open any matched file in your favourite editing or viewing app. Flexible search options: whole word, case sensitive (all file types), and regular expressions (for text files). Choose which files to include by selecting standard or custom text file types, or by searching filenames that match a pattern. Select where to search from On My iPad, iCloud Drive, or external file providers such as SMB and USB folders. When possible, the app retains saved search selections so you can quickly repeat the same searches later. If you search selected folders in iCloud Drive, matching iCloud files are synced to your device before searching, ensuring fast local results. Searching plain text files is extremely fast and memory efficient. PDF search speed depends on the document content and can be slow. Note also that PDF search may consume large amounts of memory which can cause Samurai Search to crash. ## Key features - Search text and PDF files - iCloud and external storage support - File preview - Regular expression support - Customizable file types - Saved search locations ## Is Samurai Search safe? Not enough ratings yet to assess Samurai Search. ## Is Samurai Search legit? Samurai Search: text or PDF appears to be a legitimate app. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for Samurai Search is 83 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data. ## Recent user reviews (9 of 9) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samurai-search-text-or-pdf/id1576636770/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Awesome App *2026-09-15* Finally I found my dream App ### 5/5 — Seriously one of the best tools I have on the phone *2026-06-06* Thanks for adding save functions for results. Favorite tool. ### 5/5 — Just What I Needed *2025-08-26, version 1.53* Very useful little app, it performs well and the results are presented clearly. Extremely helpful and just what I was looking for - Thank You :) ### 5/5 — Fantastic Utility *2025-05-24* Really happy I found this. Need to search against a list and this is perfect. Works well with files downloaded to my phone. Only suggestion I’d have is adding another level - search for term, then search for second term in the results. (I sometimes have many matches which I then need to scan by sight.) ### 5/5 — The best tool for searching text files *2024-12-08* I’ve been keeping a daily journal since 2011. Samurai Search is a great tool for efficiently searching my journal. ### 5/5 — Finally, a great free search app *2024-08-18* Bless the developer for creating this app! Samurai Search is terrific. It's very intuitive. You add a search folder and then put in your search parameters. It's supports every text format you can think about as well as PDFs. You can also add your own text extensions if you want. For power users, it supports Regex, file filters, and so on. It ripped through a multi megabyte list of hundreds of json files immediately. The search terms were highlighted in each indicated file. You can export that list. It's a huge time saver if you are working on an iPad or iPhone. Sure, there are tons of websites that will do this. You could also run a terminal app. However, Samurai Search makes it easy and keeps your local searches local. Finally, it is truly free. No cripple-ware, no ads, no registration required. Still, if I had to pay a reasonable fee for this app, I absolutely would. Thumbs up! ### 5/5 — Great App with Amazing Support *2024-05-06* Downloaded app May 3 and made an enhancement request. The developer responded immediately, submitted an App Store update the next day, and got approved by Apple on May 6! The search now works perfectly for my needs — looks for whole words in various Files directories, shows me the surrounding context, and lets me tap to see the original file (text in my case, which I then search through again in Koder). Thank you so much for making my day (and week). ### 5/5 — Wow! Solves the iCloud 'not downloaded' problem! *2022-09-24* 'Files' on my iPad will search 'Contents' of iCloud files, but it only sees the files that are currently downloaded. Even after various tricks that supposedly force downloads, it doesn't see the new files (yet?)... Samurai with the download option sees all the hits in the folder, quickly and simply, with option to share to reader apps. Thank You! ### 5/5 — Excellent search tool! *2022-05-06, version 1.21* I have a lot of TV scripts sitting on a network server. I often think of a snippet of something I want to refer to, but can’t find it. Enter Samurai Search. I can now easily find all the instances of my most random thoughts in the blink of an eye. What a great tool. ## Frequently asked questions about Samurai Search ### What types of files can Samurai Search find? Samurai Search can find plain text files and PDF files. You can also specify custom text file types or use a filename pattern for more targeted searches. ### Where can Samurai Search look for files? Samurai Search can search files stored on your iOS device (On My iPad), in iCloud Drive, and from external file providers like SMB or USB folders. ### Does Samurai Search support regular expressions? Yes, Samurai Search supports flexible search options, including regular expressions for plain text files, allowing for complex pattern matching. ### Can I preview files within Samurai Search? Yes, Samurai Search allows you to preview matched files directly within the app, making it easy to verify search results before opening them elsewhere. ### Is Samurai Search free to use? Yes, Samurai Search is available for free. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements mentioned in the app's data. ### What devices is Samurai Search compatible with? Samurai Search is designed for both iPhone and iPad devices, offering a consistent experience across Apple's mobile platforms. ### How often is Samurai Search updated? The latest version of Samurai Search is 1.59, last updated on March 17, 2026. This indicates a recent update, suggesting ongoing development and support. ### What is the age rating for Samurai Search? Samurai Search has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users, including younger individuals. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.61 — 2026-10-08 • Ready for iPhone Duo. If you find Samurai Search useful, please leave a review. Suggestions or issues? Please send me an email. ### 1.60 — 2026-06-05 • Added .org file type: searched by default and displays in built in file viewer as a text file. If you find Samurai Search useful, please leave a review. Suggestions or issues? Please send me an email. ### 1.59 — 2026-03-17 • Added daily App Update Checking (offers to open App Store when new version detected). • Rate/Review opens App Store Review Panel. If you find Samurai Search useful, please leave a review. Suggestions or issues? Please send me an email. ### 1.58 — 2026-03-12 PDF Search:  • refine duplicate result line detection. Visual Tweaks: • consistent background color on search option panels, • correct navigation bar color after switching between light and dark appearance (ios 26 issue), • XL and XXL result font sizes available. If you find Samurai Search useful, please leave a review. Suggestions or issues? Please send me an email. ### 1.57 — 2026-03-08 PDF search: • whole word option now available, • duplicate result lines suppressed. If you find Samurai Search useful, please leave a review. Suggestions or issues? Please send me an email. ## Apps similar to Samurai Search | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [easySearch - File Search Tool](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/easysearch-file-search-tool/id1564758029) | 4.2 (12) | Free | Utilities | | [Acidity - View Page Archives](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acidity-view-page-archives/id6472630023) | 4.2 (10) | Free | Utilities | | [Pdf Text Search](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-text-search/id1575567631) | 3.0 (2) | Free | Utilities | | [Table of contents — for Safari](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/table-of-contents-for-safari/id1665115607) | 4.0 (4) | Free | Utilities | | [Supercopy for Safari](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/supercopy-for-safari/id6477720316) | 5.0 (3) | Free | Utilities | | [Directory Viewer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/directory-viewer/id1525433540) | 5.0 (2) | Free | Utilities | ## More apps by Michael Rourke - [SamuraiSafe Password Manager](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samuraisafe-password-manager/id634820578) All apps by Michael Rourke: https://appshunter.io/developer/634812076 ## Related topics [text search](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/text-search) · [file search](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/file-search) · [pdf text search](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/pdf-text-search) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-10-24.*